Electric fireplaces are popular because they provide the visual qualities of real fireplaces without the costs and complications associated with venting of the combustion gases. An assembly for producing a realistic simulated flame for electric fireplaces is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,965,707 (Butterfield). The Butterfield assembly uses a system of billowing ribbons and a diffusion screen for simulating flames. The simulated flames are surprisingly realistic, although the effect resembles a flame from a coal fuel source (which is popular in Europe), rather than a log fuel source (which is more popular in North America). The flames for burning logs tend to be more active and extend higher above the fuel source. Also, the log flame tends to be less red (and more yellow) in color than the coal flame.
There is a need for an assembly for producing a simulated flame that more realistically resembles the flame from a burning log. Also, there is a need to improve the light intensity of the simulated flame to more realistically resemble the intensity of real flames.